Downtown Houston's new and upcoming bus-only lanes are a lesson for cyclists: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Bright-red paint will designate these new lanes along Travis and Milam streets. Bicycles will be allowed in these lanes, mixing traffic alongside buses and turning vehicles, but the design is far from perfect for cyclists, according to Houston transportation advocates.
"The lanes are a signal that Houston is becoming a more multimodal city, and that’s a good thing," BikeHouston executive director Joe Cutrufo said Wednesday. "But given that they have no actual protection from cars and trucks, don’t expect them to be a game-changer for people riding bikes downtown."
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transit Authority, which will install, operate and enforce the lane, was not available for comment Wednesday or Friday.
However, allowing bicycles in the bus lane might not simply be good will toward cyclists from Metro. In Texas, cyclists are required to tuck as close to the right curb as possible when riding in the street, according to the Texas Transportation Code. The code also allows cyclists to use the left curb on one-way streets with more than one lane. In places where such regulations are in place, it's the best practice to allow cyclists in the bus lane so they can comply with the law, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).
Both the city of Houston and Metro are members of NACTO. On the same page denoting best practices for shared bus-bike lanes, the association emphasized that they "are not a substitute for dedicated bikeways, particularly at peak periods and on high-volume bus routes."
The new Red Lanes will also allow bikes.
Metropolitan Transit AuthorityWhile bikes are allowed in the new red lanes, "they’re not high comfort bike lanes," said Ines Sigel, interim executive director of LINK Houston, a group that advocates for more equitable public transit options in Greater Houston. "It’s important for the city to continue working with Metro and other stakeholder[s] to build out additional high comfort bike lanes to improve safety for cyclists — and sidewalks to increase accessibility and safety for people who walk and roll."
While the use of bikes in the bus-only lane is allowed, it's not necessarily promoted as a major cycling route. The only mention of bicycles in the bus lanes from Metro are in layout designs shown in a promotional video and recent blog post.
The exact designs of downtown's upcoming lanes are unclear. As of Friday, only three blocks along Travis were complete near the Downtown Transit Center. Work to finish routes along Travis and Milam will begin in January.
The new lanes will replace the often-ignored Diamond Lanes installed in 2005. Those lanes were exclusive to buses only during peak hours, while the new red bus-only lanes will be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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Houston's new bus lanes will allow bikes, but advocates urge caution - Chron
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